Starrag brings record-setting aerospace portfolio to Farnborough International Airshow

At the Farnborough International Airshow, Starrag will showcase one of the most diverse machine tool portfolios in the aerospace industry. Exhibiting in the Swiss Pavilion in Hall 4, on Stand 4517, Starrag will present a machine tool range engineered to produce the sector’s most demanding components, including blisks, engine casings, and titanium and aluminium structural parts.

On 20-24 July, Starrag will showcase a breadth of solutions alongside a recent achievement that has recently put its titanium machining capability in the spotlight: a world record for material removal rate (MRR).

The record was set by the hydrostatically guided Starrag S1250 HD five-axis machining centre, which achieved what the company believes to be a world-best titanium material removal rate of 1,516 cm³/min in Ti6Al4V, up to three times that of a comparable machine with roller bearings. The performance was demonstrated in tests witnessed by Airbus and helped secure an order for five S1250 HD machines for the aircraft manufacturer’s site in Varel, Germany. The machine’s friction-free, wear-free hydrostatic guideways also reduce the heavy tool wear that drives titanium machining costs, while shortening cycle times and lowering energy consumption.

That headline performance is the latest chapter in a portfolio with deep aerospace roots. For many years, Starrag says its STC series has set the standard for the efficient machining of titanium structural components, and the S1250 HD extends that pedigree to the heaviest five-axis titanium machining. But it’s the sheer diversity of the Starrag range, spanning compact multi-axis machine tools to some of the largest machining solutions in the industry, that defines the company’s aerospace offer.

The Heckert X-series of five-axis machining centres delivers high productivity for the complex, dynamic five-axis work found in components such as blisks and integrally bladed rotors. Available in the compact X50 and the larger X70, X80 and X90, the series offers rapid traverse rates of 80 m/min and tool magazines holding up to 600 tools, all within a footprint 20% smaller than its predecessors.

For large rotating parts such as engine casings and rings, the Dörries VT 28 vertical turning centre machines heavy components up to 17 tonnes and 2.8 m in diameter, while the six-axis Droop+Rein FOGS HD gantry centre tackles the very largest aerospace structures, with X-axis travel of up to 31 m. Together, they illustrate a portfolio that spans from intricate aerofoils to airframe components measured in metres.

Whilst this diverse range of solutions cannot be fully presented at Farnborough, Starrag will have examples of turbine blades, impellers and structural parts on show. These components will be complemented by on-screen videos and VR headsets showcasing the wider range of technologies.